Garment press



Dec. 31, 1929. J. c. LEDBETTER I 1,741,996

GARMENT mass r I Original Filed June 11, 1924 INVENTOR James 6. Z edbeizer BY I ATTORNEYS )UNir DQ-sT JAmEsc. LEDIBET'IER, or BROOIKLYN, new

TO THE PROSPERITY COMPANY, ING.,'O E SYRACUSE, NEW YORK; A CORPORATION' OF. NEW YORK TES. PATENT oFFlc-E YORK, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS,

GARMENT PRESS Application filed J 'une 11, 1924, Serial No. 719,260. Renewed May 23, 1929.

This invention relates to garment pressing machines; and a main object of the invention is to produce an improved simplified structure requiring less space and fewer parts in its operating mechanism.

An important purpose of the invention is to produce a pressing machine having correspondingly equal-size pressing jaw mem bers possessing a novel movement to provide lfl. extended visibility of the work and easy access thereto without at the same time raising the press head high off the buck,a further 0bject*being to accomplish this motion with manual operating means, all parts of which are located within the frame of the press to avoid the ordinary present day rearwardly extending horizontal and weighted press lever which usually requiresconsiderable floor space to permit the old style lever to swing up and down to the rear of the press frame. To this end one of my improvements relates to a vertically disposed press lever, the movement of'which does not extend beyond the boundary of the pressing machine frame,' and my machine therefore requires no more space than the frame itself requires.

Another object of the invention is to produce improved pedal and toggle mechanism, one link of which forms a foot pedal, and this improvement in press closing and locking toggles enables me to eliminate a certain number of parts heretofore necessary in completing toggle mechanism. 1

The accompanying drawings illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention and it isunderstood how changes in construction and mode of operation may be made without departing from the scope and principle of the invention.

The drawing shows a side view of the pressing machine with the, press head open. The dotted outline indicates closed position.

Referring further to the drawings for a detailed description of the invention, there is shown a pressing machine frame 5' having a pedestal base 6, anupper buck support 7 together with rearwardly projecting bracket 8; and a table 9 is anchored on ears 10 projecting from the two spaced frame members.

. A back tableplate ll may be used to hold the work on the table.

The frame supports a pressbuck 13, and

both, pressing jaws,.the buck 13 and head 15,

- may be heated by any suitable means such as steam or electricity, but this is not illustrated because my invention particularly relates to improved constructionin the press closing mechanism .or operating means toactuatethe Lmovable press j aw.

The pressing head 15 is carried on the upper end of a long vertically disposed press lever composed of an upper horizontal arm 1 I 16 and a lower lever arm 17 integral there with. The lever is pivoted at 18 on the frame brackets 8, and reaches over andthrough the plate 11 to carry the press head 15 back and forth up and down on the buck; and the,

novel mode of action possessed by the press lever causes the head 15 to undergofa compound rearwardly motion whereby the backwardly from the. front edge of the buck 13 as well as rising thereabove, thereby exposino the pressing surface of the buck to extended visibility toprovide an unobstructand upwardly sweeping press head 15 sweeps ed view of and accessto the work. Furthermore in my pressing machine it is not necessary to lift the head 15-so high as with the usual style of pressing machines for the reason that the said head is moved rearwardly, While in present day pressingmachines the .head must necessarily undergo a rather long movement to gain visibility and access to i the work which leads into complicated op.

erating mechanism for head vlift. jaws by simple angular jaw spreading movelment as in garment presses now'used, which after all still leaves the large size press head poised directly over the buck, I combine rectilinear motion therewith which imparts to the head arearward throwback action simulperformmg such high Instead of operating my press i taneously with the angular rising movement;

and to accomplish the results named it is noted that-the lever fulcrum point 18'is placed below the meeting or pressing jaw plane and to the rear of the longitudinal axis of the pressing jaws. With the foregoing structure and mode of operation, I may eliminate the usual rearwardly projecting lever arm with the usual exposed counterbalance weight and install it inside the ress frame together with a new toggle pedal ocking means, the separate elements of which do not wholly constitute my invention,

that more particularly is in the combination.

\ The lower part of the lever arm 17 projects downwardly in vertical direction and parallel to the frame as shown in the two positions in Figure 1. An improved feature of my invention is the compact design of the operat- 1 ing mechanism whereby the ress lever 17 is caused to swing the head entirely away. from [5 the buck yet at the same time .it remains within the bounds of the frame and does not occupy as much space as y machine is inten ed to be operated. by hand or by foot pedal for closing the head ithereof, and immediately after the pressing members have made. contact, the toggleis further depressed by the operator for the purpose of applying pressure to the work. Preferabl the head of the press is closed by hand,

5 and or this urpose a handle 19 is provided on the head y which the operator pulls the head forwardlyand downwardly, but it will be shown how a foot pedal may be used in this connection as well.

3o- A counterbalance weight acts against the press lever to equalize the weight of the head 15, and to this end a lever 21 is pivoted at 22 on the frame and on one end thereof a weight 23 is fixed while the other end is pivotall connected by a link 2* to a pedal toggle lin 26. The wei ht and leverage of the counterbalance mem er 23 acts to poise the head 15 in such a manner that an operator may readily pull the head downwardly and forwardly by hand in contact with the buck 13, but the weight 23 referably overbalances the head to automatically open the press at the end of the pressing period.

A toggle locking and pedal closing mechanism consists of the link 24 pivotally connected to the presslever at 27 and pivotally connected at 29 to a companion link 28 and "the lower end of the link 28 is pivoted lit 30 on the press frame pedestal base 6. The toggle 26.-28 has its rear end pivotally attached to the press lever and its front end' pivotally anchored to the frame, and in straightening out, the toggle rapidly swings the head 15 forwardly into pressing position down on the buck; and the toggle reaches an overstraightened position to lock the head closed.

- A kick-off pedal 32 may be pivoted on the same frame in 30 for convenience in construction an itsrearend '33 reaches'underneath the tog le 2628 and rests in position ready to brea the toggle upwardly thereby permitting the press to open under the influ- -ence of the counter weight 23.

In-the operation of the machine, the operator spreads the work upon the buck 13 and both such resent day machines.

- frame,

.connecting the toggle with ,past the table therebelow,

draws the head'closeclby using the handle 19 or by depressing the foot pedal 30, or by using means if desired. By the time the head'15 reaches engagement with the work, the toggle 26-28 has reached straight line position and has slightly overstraightened itself to produce a locked condition such that the head stands at rest against the work on the buck, and the operator then causes the head to throw up and back off the work by depressing the kick oif pedal.

While there is shown a handle 19 and pedal mechanism 26-28 as one form'of operating means to open and close the press, it is to be understood that any suitable form of operating means may be used What is of particular note is the provision of a wide base 6 with a narrow vertical pedestal 5-7 rising there above and the V-shaped or triangular bracket 8 extending rearwardly from the frame and the rear fulcrum point 18 being the apex of the bracket and carrying the vertical press lever and the forward fulcrum point 22 carrying the horizontal weight lever. This arrangement of parts is an advantage in the compactness of the machine and reduces the number of parts.

What I claim is:

1. A pressing machine comprising in combination, a frame, a press buck carried on the a. movable press head coacting with the buck, a press lever pivoted on the frame and disposed in a vertical position and being attached to said head, the press lever frame fulcrum point being located below the pressing plane and to the rear of the longitudinal axis of the head and buck to introduce a compound motion of the head to throw it back away from and above the buck to expose the buck to view, two connected links forming a toggle, a foot piece forming a pedal of being pivotally attached to the press lever, the other toggle end being pivotally attached to the frame, kick-off means to break the toggle after it has reached overstraightened poon one end of one llllk the link, one toggle end I sition, a weight lever pivoted in the frame, a

counter weight on one end of the weight lever to balance the movable press head, and a link theweight lever causing the weight to pull upwardly on the toggle.

2. A pressing machine comprlsmg 1n combination, a verticalpedestal frame, a table carried by the frame, a rearwardly pro ecting bracket carried by the frame and reaching a buck mounted on the frame above the table, a movable press head adapted to cooperate with the buck, a press lever standing vertically behind the frame and pivotally carried on the outer end of the bracket to the rear of the frame with its-upper end fixed to the press head and its lower end projecting down below the bracket, a horizontal pedal toggle link having its rear above the bracket, a buck mounted on the and means connecting the horizontal counand down and forward and rearwardly, the disposed portion which is mounted on the end connected with the lower end of the verincluding a substantially lon Vertical portical press lever and a foot piece carried on tion, and asubstantially short horizontal ore front end of the link, and another toggle tion, the vertical portion being pivote on link one end of which'is pivotally connected the apex aforesaid, and the horizontal portion with the pedal link and the other end conbeing anchored to the press head; a horizontally mounted counterbalance lever pivoted 3. pressing machine comprising in comon the frame at a point forward of the apex bination, a vertical pedestal frame, a rearof the bracket, a weight carried by the counwardly projecting bracket carried by the terbalance lever, operating means connected frame, a table secured to the pedestal frame with the presslever to actuate the press head,

frame above the table, a movable press head terbalance lever with the vertical press lever. adapted to cooperate with the buck, a press 7. In a press, a frame and cooperating lever standing vertically behind the frame jaws thereon, a work table under the jaws and pivotally mounted on the outer end of and including an upturned back plate extendthe bracket with its upper end fixed to the ing upwardly behind the jaws,apivot carried press head and its, lower end projecting down on the frame below the table and disposed below the bracket, a pedal adapted toundergo to the rear of the plane of the back plate, a compound motion simultaneously moving up jaw-swinging upright including a vertically rear end of said pedal being attached to the pivot with substantially two-thirds of its verlower end of the press lever, a foot piece cartical lengthabove the pivot, a horizontally ried on the front end ofthe pedal, and a disposed and forwardly reaching arm formed toggle link having one end pivoted on the on the upper end of the upright and projectrame and the other end pivotally connected ing over and attached to one of the jaws, and 95 with the pedal to the rear of the foot piece. operatin means disposed in the frame and 4. A press comprising, a vertical pedestal connecte with the lower one-third of the i frame, cooperating press jaws, a press lever upright which projects straight downwardly disposed parallel and to the rear of the frame under the pivot. and adapted to open the press, a toggle in- 8. In apress, a frame and cooperating aws 95 eluding a pedal link free ofthe frame with thereon, awork table under the jaws and one end connected to the lower end of the including an upturned back'plate extending press lever and a link pivoted on the frame, upwardly behind the jaws, a pivot carried ahprizontally disposed weight carrying lever on the frame below the table and disposed pivbted in the frame at a point toward the to the rear of the plane of the back plate, a 139 front of the frame, a weight mounted on the jaw-swinging upright including a vertically rear end of the weight carrying lever, and disposed portion which is mounted on the a link connecting the front end of the weight pivot with substantially two-thirds of its vercarrying lever to the toggle. 1 tical length above the pivot, a horizontally 5. Aepress comprising, a vertical pedestal disposed arm formed integrally on the upper frame, cooperating press jaws, a press lever end of the upright and projecting forwardly which includes a substantially vertical poracross and attached to one" of the jaws and tion disposed parallel and to the rear of the projecting beyond the front edge of said jaw, frame and attached to one jaw and adapted a handle mounted on the forward end of the I to open the press, a bracket carried with the horizontal arm to aid in drawing the jaw 110 frame projecting rearwardly therefrom and forwardly, and a pedal means vconnected to pivotally'supporting the vertical portion of the lower end of the upright and movably the press lever, and a toggle includin a pedal rearwardly as the head swings forwardly.

link free of the frame with one en thereof In testimony whereof I affix my signature. connected to the lower end of the press lever JAMES. C. LEDBETTER. 115 'and another link connected with the pedal and pivoted on the frame, a counterbalance Q lever pivoted on the frame forward of the racket, a weight .on the rear end of the counterbalance lever and movable up and 120 down proximate the vertical press lever, and means connecting the counterbalance lever with the vertical lever.

6. A press comprising a base with a vertical pedestal frame rising thereabove, a V- 32 shaped bracket carried with the frame above the base and havin its apex located at the rear and remotely irom the frame, a press buck mounted on the upper end of the vertical frame, a movable press head; a press lever 

